Look up.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
Customers maintenance called and was starting the standby generator and needed help getting thins running again. His fellow employee(s) had lifted a sunshade up into the primary serving the feedlot. No one killed or hurt but it shut down that section of distribution.

Feelot sunshades are BIG.

Dont forget to look up occasionally.
 

Jraef

Moderator, OTD
Staff member
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
Saw a painter do something similar in getting a long extension ladder off of his truck rack. He parked under the primary 12kV service drop and tilted the ladder up into the wires, probably nicking the old insulation and caused a flashover. Nobody hurt, but I think the painter wet himself!
 

MattS87

Senior Member
Location
Yakima, WA
Had some gravel delivered this morning to my house. Last truck had about 1/2 yd left and was to dump it at the back of the property. Turned around as i heard the hum of arcing electrical to see he had lifted his bed and ran into the overhead lines. Tore down a pole before he realized what happened
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Been a couple years ago I think, but a farmer had boom of a sprayer contact 69kV line. Was smart enough to stay in the machine until they told him it was safe. 69kV is usually high enough elevation this won't happen, somehow he found that one spot that was lower.
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Had some gravel delivered this morning to my house. Last truck had about 1/2 yd left and was to dump it at the back of the property. Turned around as i heard the hum of arcing electrical to see he had lifted his bed and ran into the overhead lines. Tore down a pole before he realized what happened

...and this is why, when I have a contractor do work at my house, I ask to be listed as an additional named insured on their policy.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
...and this is why, when I have a contractor do work at my house, I ask to be listed as an additional named insured on their policy.
Building an addition, I can see that. Having them come for a 1 or 2 hour fix it project, probably not happening. The mentioned gravel delivery truck may likely been simply a delivery truck from a sand and gravel company and not a contractor doing any work on the premises.
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Building an addition, I can see that. Having them come for a 1 or 2 hour fix it project, probably not happening. The mentioned gravel delivery truck may likely been simply a delivery truck from a sand and gravel company and not a contractor doing any work on the premises.

Fair enough.
 

MattS87

Senior Member
Location
Yakima, WA
Building an addition, I can see that. Having them come for a 1 or 2 hour fix it project, probably not happening. The mentioned gravel delivery truck may likely been simply a delivery truck from a sand and gravel company and not a contractor doing any work on the premises.

Yep just a delivery. Where the lines are is well enough away from anything of value on my property luckily. Got some nice burn marks in the grass though :)
 
Wow

Wow

It's really interesting hearing such amazing and kind of scary stories.
I've just recently stared being more interested in this field, and i haven't ever had anyone tell me anything like you people have. Its really amazing.
 

meternerd

Senior Member
Location
Athol, ID
Occupation
retired water & electric utility electrician, meter/relay tech
Saw a painter do something similar in getting a long extension ladder off of his truck rack. He parked under the primary 12kV service drop and tilted the ladder up into the wires, probably nicking the old insulation and caused a flashover. Nobody hurt, but I think the painter wet himself!

Just a comment.....12KV overhead primary is not insulated, so if he got into the primary, it meant mucho smoke!. Service drops will be insulated, but never depend on insulation to keep you alive. Look up, then look up again in case you missed something!:) Had a TV crew raise an antenna into 12KV. Nobody killed but the TV truck ignited and was a total loss. Just outside the substation, so fault current was significant!
 

drcampbell

Senior Member
Location
The Motor City, Michigan USA
Occupation
Registered Professional Engineer
Take the quiz: http://www.draftsperson.net/index.php?title=Backhoe_and_bridge_quiz

Backhoe_and_bridge_02.jpg
 

busman

Senior Member
Location
Northern Virginia
Occupation
Master Electrician / Electrical Engineer
Just a comment.....12KV overhead primary is not insulated, so if he got into the primary, it meant mucho smoke!. Service drops will be insulated, but never depend on insulation to keep you alive. Look up, then look up again in case you missed something!:) Had a TV crew raise an antenna into 12KV. Nobody killed but the TV truck ignited and was a total loss. Just outside the substation, so fault current was significant!

That is not entirely a true statement. While Hendrix cable is technically "covered" and not "insulated", it is available up to 46 kV. And, in general, it will prevent shocks and arcs when hit with incidental object contact. In fact, I have great pictures of a piece of Hendrix cable laying on a grounded metal "C" bracket for years with no arcing. After about 6 calls, the PoCo finally lifted it back up onto the chili bowl and tied it back in place.

Mark
 

wtucker

Senior Member
Location
Connecticut
...when I have a contractor do work at my house, I ask to be listed as an additional named insured on their policy.

Absolutely! Otherwise, YOU become the employer and have to cover anything their policy doesn't. AND, it proves that they have liability insurance to begin with.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top